Seminar by Dr. José Ricardo Paula "The behavioural complexity of cleaning mutualisms"

Marine Climate Change (Ravasi) Unit would like to invite you to the seminar by Dr. José Ricardo Paula on November 5th (Wednesday).
 
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Date:   Wednesday, November 5th, 2025
Time:  11:00-12:00
Venue: L4E01 (Level E, Lab 4)

Zoom link:
Meeting URL: https://oist.zoom.us/j/94774028306?pwd=jkjzjNJbMjsuaHnUmP1wcpJjDxJDO1.1
Meeting ID: 947 7402 8306
Passcode: 093342
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Speaker:

Dr. José Ricardo Paula
MARE – University of Lisbon

Abstract:

Cooperation in animal societies often evolves under the shadow of conflict, as the mutual benefits of cooperative behaviour are frequently challenged by the temptation to cheat. Cleaning mutualisms represent one of the most intricate forms of interspecific cooperation in the animal kingdom. In these interactions, so-called client fish offer access to parasites in exchange for cleaning services provided by cleaner fish, who in turn benefit from a reliable food source. However, these interactions are fraught with potential conflicts, including the risk of predatory clients consuming cleaners, competition for partners, and the cleaners’ preference for ingesting nutritious host mucus over harmful ectoparasites. These social challenges are thought to have selected for advanced cognitive abilities in cleaner wrasse, enabling them to manage the complexities of interspecific cooperation. Cleaners have been shown to exercise impulse control, assess partner value through image scoring, and modify behaviour based on social context and past experiences. Their decision-making involves tactics such as deception, reputation management, reconciliation, individual and self-recognition, and social tool use—traits once thought to be limited to within-species cooperation in highly social vertebrates. In this talk, I will provide an overview of our research investigating the behavioural, cognitive and neurobiological basis of cleaning mutualisms. I will present recent findings on the mechanisms of learning and self-recognition, species-level and contextual variation in dishonest behaviour, and the broader cognitive ecology that shapes these interactions. Finally, I will discuss the ecological consequences of cleaning behaviour for reef communities, highlighting the role of these mutualisms in structuring fish abundance, diversity, and ecosystem resilience. Together, these studies position cleaning mutualisms as a powerful model for exploring the evolution of cooperation and cognition in the wild.

Biography:

Dr José Ricardo Paula is a behavioural ecologist and Principal Investigator at MARE – University of Lisbon, where he leads the Behavioural Complexity Lab. His work investigates how complex behaviours in marine animals emerge, develop, and scale up to influence biodiversity and ecosystem resilience. He is particularly interested in how behavioural diversity serves as an early warning system for environmental change and how human impacts can trigger cascading ecological effects by altering animal behaviour.

His research combines field experiments, large-scale manipulations, mesocosms, molecular tools, and increasingly, emerging technologies such as AI-powered computer vision and autonomous monitoring systems. By bridging behaviour, ecosystems, and technology, his team seeks to reveal the reciprocal links that structure seascapes and to design tools that can forecast and mitigate biodiversity loss.

He earned his PhD in Biology at the University of Lisbon (Rui Rosa Lab), followed by three postdocs at MARE, the University of Hong Kong (Cela Schunter Lab), and the Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology from the University of Hawai’i (Elizabeth Madin Lab). before returning to Lisbon as a La Caixa Group Leader.

He is Associate Editor for acta ethologica and Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, and serves as President of the Portuguese Ethological Society. 

Host:

Prof. Timothy Ravasi